Hair curling device with pivoting and rotating bail



May 10, 1966 c. D. GRESHAM ETAL 3,250,281

HAIR CURLING DEVICE WITH PIVOTING AND ROTATING BAIL Filed Feb. 14, 1964 INVENTORS ATTORNEKQS United States Patent 3,250,281 HAIR CURLING DEVICE WITH PIVOTING AND ROTATING BAIL Claude D. Gresham and Ernest Hoifmann, Omaha, Nelm,

assignors to Tip-Top Products Company, Omaha,

Nehru, a corporation of Nebraska Filed Feb. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 344,976 3 Claims. (Cl. 13241) The present invention relates to a new and improved hair curler or roller.

An important object is to provide a simple, eincient and inexpensive hair curler, which includes a body member and a bail, each of which is preferably made of light, flexible and durable plastic material, such as polyethylene or the like. The bail is formed with longitudinally spaced yieldable sides and transverse ends and carries at the transverse end pivotally connected to the body member an integral pivot means flexible in the direction of the transverse axis of the body member. The body member, being pivotally and rotatably connected at one end to the bail, has its opposite or free end arranged to be moved from an open position outside of the bail, to a closed position within the latter. The free end of the body member is provided with latch means which coacts with complementary, integral engageable latch means on the bail for releasably connecting the body member to the bail when the bail is swung to its closed position. The outer end of the lock of hair to be curled is Wrapped around the rotatable body member when the latter is in its open position. Thus, it will be seen that when the lock of hair is wrapped on the body member, if it is of greater diameter than the space between the longitudinal sides of the bail, that upon the parts being moved to their closed position, the flexible sides of the bail will be brought into contact with the wound lock of hair, with the result the more hair that is placed on the body member, the tighter the engageable latch means will be moved into locking position for maintaining the body member and the hair wound thereon in a fixed position relative to the bail. Further, the body member is provided along its longitudinally spaced ribs with a plurality of small, spaced pointed members. Preferably every third rib is provided with one row of such pointed members, the intervening two ribs each being provided with two rows of the pointed members with the crests of the pointed members of one of the two rows being in registration with the valleys between the pointed members of the other row. This arrangement eliminates axial displacement and spreading of the lock of hair from the body member.

The bail at the end at which it is rotatably and pivotally connected to the body member is provided with an integral pivot means which is flexible in a direction substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the body member which is provided at this pivot end along its transverse axis with engaging means for the integral pivot means of the bail, the engaging means and pivot means coacting to permit not only complete movement of the body member outside of the bail to the open position but also complete rotation of the body member in the open position while providing a substantial reduction of the manufacturing costs due to the unitary nature of the pivot means with the bail and the unitary nature of the bail pivot engaging means with the body member. Thus, only one mold or set of dies i necessary to form each component part of 3,250,281 Patented May 10, 1966 ice embodiment of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the hair curler constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE 1 taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the bail with integral flexible pivot means and the body member with integral bail pivot engaging means according to the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 2;.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken of the open free end of the body member in engagement with the latch means of the bail; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing and I more particularly to FIGURE 3, the flexible hair curler, which may be of any desired size and shape, preferably includes a substantially cylindrical hollow body member 10 comprising a plurality of longitudinally parallel spaced ribs 12 and a purality of transversely parallel spaced ribs 14, having an open free end 16, the opposite end 18 being pivotally attached to the pivot end 20 of the bail 22.

The outer surfaces of the longitudinally spaced parallel ribs 12 are provided with a plurality of small spaced pointed members 24 for maintaining the coiled lock of hair spread about the cylindrical body member 10 to insure a tight curl and an even distribution of the lock about the cylindrical body member. longitudinally spaced rib 12 is provided with a single row 26 of the small spaced pointed members 24, while the two intervening longitudinally parallel spaced ribs 12 are each provided with two rows 28 of said pointed members 24. The crests 30 of the pointed members 24 on the intervening longitudinally spaced ribs are preferably in registration with the valleys 32 between the pointed members 24 of the second row on the rib as best seen in FIGURE 5.

The outer free end 16 of the cylindrical body member 10 is provided at its interior peripheral surface with a plurality of spaced inwardly and upwardly, radially extending knobs 34 to engage latch means 36 integral with a transverse end 38 of the bail 22 opposite the bail pivot end 20.

The opposite end 18 of the hollow cylindrical body member 10 is pivotally connected to the other transverse end 40 of the bail 22 by means of a transverse axially disposed cross member 42 provided at its mid-point with a circular member 44 having an axially disposed aperture 46 adapted to receive the pivot means 48 integrally attached to the transverse end 40 of the bail 22.

The bail 22 comprises a substantially rectangular member having spaced parallel sides 50 and 52 connected by the slightly curved transverse ends 38 and 40. The

Preferably every third bail may be made of any suitable light, durable plastic material, such as polyethylene, so as to be capable of use with various chemicals. The outer free end 38 of the bail 22 is provided with an inwardly extending arcuate rib or latch means 36 having its largest chord substantially equal to the inside diameter of the cylindrical body member 10. The rib 36 has a thickness substantially less than the cross sectional thickness of the transverse end 38 of the bail, and it outer limits being substantially equal to the inside diameter of the hollow body member releasably engage the knobs 34 provided at the peripheral interior surface of the free end 16 of the hollow body member 10. The opposite pivoted end 20 of the bail 22 is provided with an inwardly extending arcuate rib 48 having its largest chord substantially less than the length of the transverse end 40 of the bail 22, and preferably less than the inside diameter of the cylindrical body member 10. The vertex of the rib is preferably thickened to accommodate an integral conical head 54 having a peripheral groove 56 between the vertex of the arcuate rib and the crest of the conical head. The peripheral groove 56 is provided to engage the aperture 46 provided in the cross member 42 of the cylindrical body member at its pivoted end 18. Since the body member 10 is connected to the flexible sides 50 and 52 of the bail 22, it will be seen that lateral expansion and contraction of the sides will cause simultaneous movement of the arcuate rib or latch 36 and knobs 34 either toward or away from each other so as to control the inter-fitting engagement of the latch means with each other.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in their open position, as shown in FIGURE 3, a lock or strand of hair to be curled initially has the outer end thereof wrapped around the body member 10 to engage the valleys provided between the small pointed members 24 provided on the longitudinally spaced ribs 12. When the lock of hair is completely or fully wrapped on the body member 10, the bail 22 is swung inwardly about its pivot so as to position the body member 10 and the lock of hair wound thereon within the bail 22 and between the confronting sides 50 and 52 and the transverse ends 38 and 40 thereof. The arcuate rib 36 of the free end of the bail 22 is then brought or snapped into locking engagement between the knobs 34 provided at the free end 16 of the body member. It will be noted that as the amount of hair wrapped on the body member increases, it will simultaneously increase the diameter thereof so that when the hair Wound on the body member exceeds a predetermined diameter or becomes greater than the distance or space between the flexible sides of the bail it will, upon the body members being swung into a closed position between the bail, frictionally engage the confronting sides so as to cause a lateral or outward expansion thereof in opposite directions with the result that the transverse ends of the bail which now constitute a stop for the hair are moved inwardly toward each other, thus causing the arcuate rib to be moved into a tighter inter-fitting engagement between the spaced knobs. In other words, the curler is so constructed and arranged so that the more hair that is wound on the body member, the tighter will be the locking engagement of the latch means with each other.

It will also be noted that the provision of the flexible arcuate rib 48 at the pivot end 20 of the bail 22 facilitates the movement of the body member 10 outside of the bail 22 without displacing the hail from attachment to the body member. Further, the provision of the pivot means 48 integral with the bail means substantially reduces the manufacturing costs in producing the novel hair curler according to this invention. Moreover, as the curler avoids the use of metal parts, the hollow body member 10 may be placed comfortably close to the scalp without danger of hurting or pinching the 4 scalp. As the curler is formed of a plastic material such as polyethylene or the like, the hair wound thereon may be saturated with various chemicals or treating fluids without danger of corroding or attacking the curler itself.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible plastic hair curler comprising a substantially rectangular bail having longitudinally extending parallel flexible sides and integrally formed arcuate transverse ends connecting said sides, one of said transverse ends having an integral flexible arcuate rib having a length substantially less than the length of said transverse end and a thickness less than thethickness of said transverse end facing inwardly of said bail and provided at its vertex with an integral conical head extending in the plane of the bail and having a peripheral groove between the vertex and the conical head; a longitudinally extending cylindrical body member comprising a plurality of longitudinally parallel spaced ribs and a plurality of transversely spaced ribs, and having a pivot end and a free end, said pivot end provided with an integral transverse axially disposed cross member provided at its mid-point with an axially disposed aperture pivotally and rotatably engaging said peripheral groove of said bail, said arcuate rib of said one transverse end pivotally and rotatably connected to said body member being flexible in the direction of the transverse axis of said body member and having its largest chord less than the inside diameter of said body member, the other of said transverse ends having a second integral arcuate rib facing inwardly of said bail having its largest chord substantially equal to the inside diameter of said body member; the free end of said body member being provided at its interior peripheral surface with a plurality of inwardly, upwardly radially extending spaced knobs to frictionally engage said second rib when said body member is in a closed position within said bail and parallel to its longitudinal sides.

2. A flexible plastic hair curler comprising a substantially rectangular bail having longitudinally extending parallel flexible sides and integrally formed arcuate transverse first and second ends connecting said sides, the first of said transverse ends having an integral flexible arcuate rib facing inwardly of said bail, said ribbeing provided at its vertex with an integral conical head extending in the plane of the bail and separated from the vertex by a peripheral groove; a longitudinally extending cylindrical hollow body member comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced ribs and a plurality of transversely spaced ribs, the longitudinally spaced ribs being provided with at least one row of small spaced pointed members, said body member having a pivot end and a free end, said pivot end provided with an integral transverse axially disposed cross-member provided at its mid-point with an axially disposed aperture which pivotally and rotatably engage said peripheral groove of said bail, said arcuate rib of said one transverse end of said bail pivotally and rotatably connected to said body member being flexible in the direction of the transverse axis of said body member, the free end of said body member at it inside peripheral surface being provided with a plurality of inwardly andupwardly radially extending spaced knobs to frictionally engage said second transverse end of said bail when said body member is in a closed position within said bail and parallel to its longitudinal sides.

3. The curler of claim 2 wherein the plurality of longitudinally spaced ribs is a number a multiple of three and every third longitudinally spaced rib of said body member has one row of said pointed members, the intervening two ribs being provided with two rows of pointed members, the crests of pointed members of one of the two rows being in registration with the valleys between the pointed members of the second row.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited by the Examiner 3,105,502 10/ 1963 Mitchell et a1. 132-40 3,170,469 2/1965 S010mon 132-39 UNITED STATES PATENTS Bein 132-42 FOREIGN PATENTS Vaughn 132-42 5 941,802 11/1963 Great Britain.

Carper 13241 1 Hopkins et a1 13241 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. Carey 132-42 RONALD L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner. Weldon. 

1. A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC HAIR CURLER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BAIL HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PARALLEL FLEXIBLE SIDES AND INTEGRALLY FORMED ARCUATE TRANSVERSE ENDS CONNECTING SAID SIDES, ONE OF SAID TRANSVERSE ENDS HAVING AN INTEGRAL FLEXIBLE ARCUATE RIB HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID TRANSVERSE END AND A THICKNESS LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID TRANSVERSE END FACING INWARDLY OF SAID BAIL AND PROVIDED AT ITS VERTEX WITH AN INTEGRAL CONICAL HEAD EXTENDING IN THE PLANE OF THE BAIL AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE BETWEEN THE VERTEX AND THE CONICAL HEAD; A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CYLINDRICAL BODY MEMBER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY PARALLEL SPACED RIBS AND A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY SAPCED RIBS, AND HAVING A PIVOT END AND A FREE END, SAID PIVOT END PROVIDED WITH AN INTEGRAL TRANSVERSE AXIALLY DISPOSED CROSS MEMBER PROVIDED AT ITS MID-POINT WITH AN AXIALLY DISPOSED APERTURE PIVOTALLY AND ROTATABLY ENGAGING SAID PERIPHERAL GROOVE OF SAID BAIL, SAID ARCUATE RIB OF SAID ONE TRANSVERSE END PIVOTALLY AND ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID BODY MEMBER BEING FLEXIBLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TRANSVERSE AXIS OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING ITS LARGEST CHORD LESS THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID BODY MEMBER, THE OTHER OF SAID TRANSVERSE ENDS HAVING A SECOND INTEGRAL ARCUATE RIB FACING INWARDLY OF SAID BAIL HAVING ITS LARGEST CHORD SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID BODY MEMBER; THE FREE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER BEING PROVIDED AT ITS INTERIOR PERIPHERAL SURFACE WITH A PLURALITY OF INWARDLY, UPWARDLY RADIALLY EXTENDING SPACED KNOBS TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE SAID SECOND RIB WHEN SAID BODY MEMBER IS IN A CLOSED POSITION WITHIN SAID BAIL AND PARALLEL TO ITS LONGITUDINAL SIDES. 